Creative Liberty

So a friend from my MOPS group came to me asking for a cake for her daughter's 1st birthday.  I was delighted to make a cake for a friend, but realized after accepting the job that there is a lot more pressure doing a job for someone you know versus doing one for a stranger... After all, I'm friends with these people and probably half of the people that are attending the party too!  What if it doesn't taste good? What if they don't like the design?  The list goes ON and ON!!!

Being the ever planner that I am, I have been searching for the "perfect design" ever since.  See, my friend gave me creative liberty to make whatever I wanted.  Her only caveat was that I had to us LOTS of color and include a cupcake in the design.  At first I thought this was the going to be the easiest design job ever... the unpicky client... a piece of cake (pun INTENDED!)... Well the more I looked into designs, the more indecisive I became... I've narrowed it down to two concepts... what do you think?

             

           OR






Both are cute designs.... I have the materials for each.... they will each serve the number of people needed.... it's a matter of aesthetics.  I know when I make a cake and I have a specific design from a client, there is still an element of surprise as I "figure out" what to do as I'm making the cake. But right now... clueless! 

WELL, the cake is due this Saturday... wish me luck!

They make a mold now... better late than never!

My son's Christening cake...

Of course they (Wilton, I think) make a mold for a cross shaped cake now... but when I was Christening my kiddo's... nope!  I had to do it the (cheaper, yes) old fashion way.  9 x 13 cake cut in half lengthwise, then the other side cut to make the "arms".  Being that this was one of my first cakes, I look back and impress myself that I actually got the cake pretty smooth...

THE PROBLEM: humidity, heat, and inexperience (it strikes again!)  The piping falls off the sides of the cake in an EPIC fail!  And my postpartum mommy self... well I cried my eyes out!  From what I hear, it tasted great, but I was so upset I refused to try it!

Should we decide to have another kiddo some day, maybe I will invest in that mold after all!!

Abby Cadabby Cake

The cake that started it all...  a Drama Mama, who wants everything to be perfect, but can't afford a party planner...

My daughter's cake for her 1st birthday.  Abby Cadabby for my Abigail!











This was my first cake... it took nearly FIVE inexperienced hours and some tears and tantrums!  This was a Wilton mold that I followed to a tee and probably shouldn't have... I think I ended up making more work for myself.  It took two batches of cake mix, 6 different frosting colors and 3 batches of frosting...I like the idea of molded cakes, but they make it hard to "step out of the box".

Taking this show on the road

When my husband "recommended" I make cakes for hire, I balked at the idea!  ME? CAKES?  Who's going to want to spend their hard earned money on me?  It was one thing to make cakes for my children and family, but the thought of having someone hire me was terrifying!

My hubby's response?  "Stop being a "drama mama"!   You know you can do it."  And so the story begins!